Auto window operating means



July 25, 1933. w. F. sHETzLlNE AUTO WINDOW OPERATING MEANS Filed Feb.17, 1952 LTU/'E Tyr'- W- E EEZZZLNE. WMM

may-'NE S.

Patented July 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE `WALTER SHETZLINE, OFLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AUTO WINDOW OPERATING MEANS Application ineaFebruary 17, 1932. serial No. 593,524.

invention 'relates to improvements in window operatmgconstrucuons andparticularly it is designed to be used in con] unction` with automobilel? structures.

' 'An'obJect ywindows and analogous ofthe invention is to provide animproved Iwindowoperating means for ef--v fectingja 'raising or loweringof the window within'its fram'eL' The improved construc- 19'. tionutilizes as its motive force the partial vacuum developed within theintake manif fol'dvof the engine of the automobile andwhile this sourceof power for effecting movements of the `window within its frame hasbeen-used heretofore, the present inven- M' tion'coiitemplates animproved arrangementl for utilizing this source'ofpower;4 v

More specifically anpbjectl of the present' invention isto provide' awindowoperating 29 mechanismfutilizing the vacuum produced Within theintake manifold ofthe -automobile engine'and to provide a brakingorlocking construction for locking orholdingthe. window in'its adjustedposition. Theinvention 2 5 contemplates having thebraking'orlocking imechanism automatically operable on operating-'the windowmovingmechanism so that when it is desired to adjust the window the braking orlocking construction will automatically be released and when the' movingmechanism is stopped the braking or locking mechanism will automaticallyengage.

Another object of the invention is to pro.

vide anovel construction .for `guiding the window inits movements fromone positionto another and for locking or holding the window in adjustedposition. Ithas been customary to provide suitable felt runners lfortheV glass panes of automobile windows, which*` 49 felt runners lhavethe tendency to absorb moisture during wet weather. They consequentlyswell so that during wet weather it 4 is frequently very diiicult toopen or close the window.` The improvedconstruction eliminates thisdiiiculty and also lenables the pane to be firmly gripped and held inany pos1- tion. This feature of the invention'may be employed with orwithout the vacuum oper-` ated window moving mechanism. 5,0 4ViTith theforegoing and `other obgects vin view, which will be made manifest inthe fol' lowing detailed description, and specifically pointed out inthe appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing'for anillustrative embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substan- P tially upon the line 5-5upon Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying "drawing, wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, 10 designates anautomobile doorvyhingedly mounted as by hinges 11 and providing thewindow frame' for a glass window 12 which is vertically movabletherein.VIn accordance with the conventional construction, the lower portion'ofAthe doorprovides av pocket whichmay receive the paneV l2 when inits'lowermost position and from which the pane 12 may be removed toclose' the lwindow opening `13. In the bottom of the door 10 and in thebottom of the pocket formed thereby, there is mo'unt-v ed a cylinder 14within which there isl a pis-1l ton 15. At the end of thecylinder'vthere is2 rotatablymounted upon 'a transversely en#y tending-pintle 16 `a sprocket' 17;'` -A ratchetv wheel 18 is rigid with thesprocket.' Achain 19 is fastened' to they pistonl and extends throughthe open end of the cylinder'o'ver f sprocket 17 to a; pulley orsprocket 20 which is rotatablyV mounted on the door near the of thepocket. The end of the 'chain -is secured to a suitable fitting 21 whichembraces the bottom of pane 12 near the centery thereof.I Atthe'opposite end of the cylinder a suitable conduit 22v leads to a valvegenerally designated at-,'23, which may be' mounted on the'door at anysuitable or convenientlocan A i tion. The details of this valveconstruction will be hereinafter described. It is suicient to state thatfrom this valve there leads a second conduit 24 which may haveincorporated in it a detachable coupling 25 or a hose to enable openingof the door, which conduit leads to the intake manifold of theautomobile engine. The partial vacuum developed in the intake manifoldwill likewise be developed within the conduit 24 and when the valve 23is properly operated will be transmitted to the interior of the cylinder14. As the 'opposite side of the piston 15 is exposed to air pressure,it is obvious that the piston will move from right to left as viewed inFigure l, causing the pane 12 to be elevated by chain 19. On top of thecylinder 14 there is pivotally mounted a pawl 26 engageable with ratchetwheel 18 and urged into engagement with it by spring 27. The oppositeend of the pawl is connected to a suitable plunger 28` disposed within adiaphragm cup 29 mounted on top of cylinder 14. A diaphragm formed ofrubberized canvas or equivalent impervious but flexible materialindicated at 30 has its edges secured near the base of the diaphragmcup. Its center portion is secured to the under side of the plunger 28and the plungerflits the diaphragm cup with sufficient looseness toenable air pressure to be transmitted to the upper side of thediaphragm. A. conduit 31 serves to transmit a vacuum to the diaphragmcup on the under side of the diaphragm 30 to cause the diaphragm to pullthe plunger 28 downwardly. This enables the pawl 26 to be caused todisengage ratchet wheel.18. Conduit 31 is a branch conduit from alongitudinally extending conduit 32. This conduit extends longitudinallythrough the pocket from side to side thereof. At each ofits ends .thereis a pair of collapsible flattened metallic tubes, one pair of which isindicated in Figure 4 by the reference characters 33 and 34. This pairof tubes extends upwardly from conduit 32 to the top of window opening13 and a similar pair of collapsible flattened metallic tubes extendsupwardly from the opposite end of conduit 32 to the top of Windowopening 13. The pane 12 is slidable between the tubes of each pair andby virtue of the fact that the tubes are formed of metal, such as thinsheet brass or the like, they will not swell in wet weather and bind theglass. They normally tend to expand against the side faces of the glass12 to frictionally hold the glass in any position. However, when avacuum is formed within conduit 32, it is also formed within the tubesat each end so that these tubes will be partially collapsed due to thevacuum therein and thus either disengage glass 12 entirely or engage itwith such a small amount of force that the friction therewith isnegligible. Conduit 32 is connected to valve 23vby means of pipe 36.

The construction of the valve employed will now be described, referencebeing had particularly to Figure 3. The valve consists of a casing orbody 37 within which is rotatable a rotary member 38. This rotary memberis operable by a handle 39. The connection for conduit 24 is illustratedthereon, the end of conduit 24 being illustrated. In the rotary memberthere is formed a bore 40 shown as registering with the port for conduit24. This bore communicates with an arcuately removed portion 41 of therotary member. The port for conduit 36 is indicated, the end of thisconduit being shown on this ligure. The end of conduit 22 is likewiseshown, leading from the cylinder. Reference characters 42 and 43 merelyindicate passages in the body or casing of the valve leading to thenormal air pressure. An arcuately removed portion of the valve or rotarymember is also indicated at 44. In the position shown the vacuum formedin conduit 24 is transmitted through bore 40, the arcuately removedport-ion 41, to conduits 22 and 36. Conduit 22 leads to cylinder 14 andthe formation of a vacuum therein causes the window to be elevated. Atthe same time the vacuum transmitted through conduit 36 causes diaphragm30 to be depressed to disengage pawl 26 and also causes the tubes at theends of conduit 32 to be collapsed. With the tubes collapsed and thepawl disengaged, the window is free to be elevated by the piston 15moving from right to left. When the window has been elevated to thedesired height, handle 39 is swung downwardly into a horizontal orintermediate position. In this position the port for conduit 24 isclosed y.and bore 40 registers with the port 43 leading to air pressure,that is the normal air pressure of the atmosphere. This normalatmospheric pressure is thus transmitted through bore 40 to conduits 22and 36, the arcuately removed portion 41 still uncovering the portsfo-r'these conduits. The admission of air pressure to conduits 22 and 36causes the pressures on opposite sides of piston 15 to become equalizedso that the piston will stop its movement. The equalization of pressureson opposite sides of diaphragm 30 enables spring 27 to cause pawl 26 toengage the ratchet wheel 18. Equalization of pressures on the inside andoutside of the expansible tubes 33 and 34 enables these tubes to assumetheir normal condition in which they tend to expandagainst the windowpane 12. The expansive effort is suiicient to create enough friction tofrictionally hold pane 12 in adjusted position. In order to lower thewindow 12, handle 39 is swung into a downwardly inclined position, inwhich case the rotary member assumes the position indicated in dottedlines upon Figure 3. The arcuately removed portion 41 then establishescommunication between conduit 24 and conduit 36 only. The arcuately re-'moved portion 44 establishes communication between inlet port 42,allowing for ingress of air, and conduit 22. With this result, pressureswithin the cylinder on opposite sides of piston remain equalized. Thevacuum, however, formed in the diaphragm cup 29 below the diaphragm 30and within the expansible metallic tubes causes the pawl 26 to disengageratchet wheel 18 and the tubes to disengage or release window 12.'Window 12 can then fall or slide downwardly under its own weight into alower position. It is obvious that by manipulation of the handle 39 thevacuum produced within the intakemanifold of the engine may'be used toeffect a raising or lowering of the window 12, or the holding of thewindow 12 in any desired position.

It is not essential that both the pawl 26 and ratchet wheelbe used inthe same construction lwith the expansible flattened tubes 33 and 34. Inmany instances the expansible iattened tubes are suiiicient to hold thewindow in any adjusted position, in which case the diaphragm cup, pawl26, ratchet wheel 18, and conduit 31 are dispensed with. In otherinstances it maybe deemed advisable toy employ the pawl, ratchet wheeland diaphragm cup in preference to the expansible tubes. In stillfurther instances both constructions can be used simultaneously asshown. It will also be appreciated that the use of the expansible tubesas guides for the window frame and as locking means for locking thewindow in any desired position is not restricted to a `constructionemploying the speciic elevating mechanism shown. These tubes can beadvantageously employed in any construction having a movable pane inwhich it is desired to produce a weather tight joint with the pane yetpermit it to slide when desired.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as deined by theappended claims,

I claim:

1'. In combination with a window frame ,5o having a window movabletherein, expansible means mounted upon the frame and normally expandedinto engagement with the window to hold the window in adjusted position,said expansible means being capable of being contracted-to release thewindow by the presence of a vacuum, and means for providingl a partialvacuum to contract said means.

2. In combination with a window frame, having a window movable therein,a cylinder, a piston exposed to air pressure on one side located withinthe cylinder, means Jfor forming a partial vacuum on the other side ofthe piston, means operable by the piston for elevating the window in theframe, a brake for holding the window in elevated position, and vacuumoperable means for causing the brake to release the window when apartial vacuum is formed in the cylinder.

3. In combination with a window frame having a window movable therein, acylinder, a piston exposed to air pressure on one side located withinthe cylinder, means for forming a partial vacuum on the other side ofthe piston, means operable by the piston for elevating the window in theframe including a chain connected to the piston and to the window andtrainedrover a sprocket for effecting elevation of the window when thepiston is actuated, a ratchet wheel rigid with the sprocket, and avacuum. operated pawl normally engaging the ratchet wheel for holdingthe window elevated but adapted to disengage it when a vacuum iscreated.

4. Incombination with a window frame having a window movable therein, acylinder, a piston ex osed to air pressure on one side located wit inthe cylinder, means for forming a partial vacuum on the other side ofthe piston, means operableby the piston for elevating the window in theframe including a chain connected to the piston and to the window andtrained over a sprocket, a brake for holding` the window in elevatedposition, vacuum operable means for causing the brake to release thewindow when a partial vacuum is formed in the cylinder, and means forcausing the vacuum operable means to be operated without creating avacuum in the cylinder.

WALTER F. SHETZLINE.

